Hayden Panettiere

"You go on these internet blogs and people say the meanest things. I'm a normal person. Just because I'm in the spotlight doesn't mean I'm god's gift to the world." - Hayden Panettiere

"If I can’t flaunt it at 20, c’mon! I might as well show it now," said Hayden Panettiere about her nude scene in I Love You, Beth Cooper, in which she played -- drum roll -- a cheerleader. Even though we only saw a bare back and a bit of side boobage, Panettiere revealed that she was in fact naked during the scene. Whether we got to see it or not, Panettiere nude caused a serious stir on celeb blogs the world over, and had us asking ourselves: "Hey, if Milo Ventimiglia could date her when she was 18, it's cool to get hot and bothered by the idea of Panettiere naked now, right?" Panettiere, mainly known for playing the superpowered cheerleader Claire Bennet on Heroes, is also known for her roles in Remember the Titans, Joe Somebody and Raising Helen.

SEX APPEAL

Nothing says "all American girl" quite like being a cover girl for Neutrogena. Hayden Panettiere also made milk look sexy in her "Got Milk?" ad campaign. In 2007, the Heroes star officially signed to William Morris Agency. Apparently, we aren't the only fans of Panettiere's sex appeal. In 2008, she made quite a few chick lists, including No. 51 in AskMen's 2008 Top 99, a position she reclaimed in 2009. Way to be steady, Hayden! She was also ranked No. 13 on Maxim’s Hot 100 in ’08 but fell to No. 36 in 2009. In 2010, she ranked #30 on Maxim magazine's Hot 100 list.

After dating Milo Ventimiglia from 2008-2009, Panettiere now spending her time with Ukrainian heavyweight boxer Wladimir Klitchko.

SUCCESS

We've been impressed with Hayden Panettiere's acting skills since she was a toddler, and her adorable on-screen persona continues to charm. Now that she's all grown up, we're starting to see a sexy glimmer in the eyes of this once-Playskool commercial kid.

With her successful stint on the hit show Heroes as Claire Bennet, we've watched the sexy Panettiere on a weekly basis. In addition to her work on Heroes, she has also had roles in Remember the Titans (2000), Joe Somebody (2001) and Raising Helen (2004). Her lead role in I Love You, Beth Cooper as, you guessed it, Beth Cooper, proved that Panettiere could hold her own on the big screen. She's just one of those blondes you keep on your radar.

Hayden Panettiere Biography

Born in Palisades, New York, on August 21, 1989, Hayden Panettiere didn't wait long to begin her career. When she was just 11 months old, her mother got her a part in a commercial for Playskool toys. By the time she was 4, Hayden had almost 50 commercial appearances under her belt and was chosen for a role on the soap opera One Life to Live, which she kept until 1997.

During that stint, Panettiere became a more seasoned actress with roles on Guiding Light, the miniseries A Will of Their Own and the film The Object of My Affection (1998). After lending her voice to the Disney animated films A Bug's Life (1998) and Dinosaur (2000), Panettiere won the role of a football coach's daughter in Disney's Remember the Titans -- arguably one of her most eminent roles.

hayden panettiere on ally mcbeal

Though still very young, the mature actress adapted well to her already successful career. In 2001, she appeared in The Affair of the Necklace, starring Hilary Swank, and the comedy Joe Somebody, starring Tim Allen. Hayden Panettiere went back to television for Ally McBeal in 2002 and the made-for-TV movie Tiger Cruise in 2004, but established herself as a film actress with roles in 2004's Raising Helen (starring Kate Hudson) and The Dust Factory, and 2005's Ice Princess.

hayden panettiere is cast on heroes

In 2006, Hayden Panettiere starred in Mr. Gibb and, that same year, she earned the role of a lifetime: Claire Bennet on the hit drama Heroes. Since then, her popularity has skyrocketed. She has received tons of publicity, partly because of the hit drama, but also because of her increasing number of endorsements -- Panettiere's face now appears everywhere.

hayden panettiere is named no. 51 in 2008 top 99 and in 2009

In 2008, Hayden Panettiere continued kicking ass in another great season of Heroes. With all her big- and small-screen success, Forbes estimated her 2007 income at around $2 million.

That same year, she landed on various men mags’ lists for hotties, and ranked well in Maxim, FHM and Wizard magazines. She also came in at No. 51 on AM's Top 99 Women of 2008 a position she reclaimed in 2009. However, she also found herself in newspapers and on gossip sites after her father was arrested in a domestic dispute with her mother. When Panettiere finally commented on the issue, she simply said: "It was blown way out of proportion by a sheriff who wanted his 15 minutes of fame. My family is wonderful, so very happy. We're all great."

Hayden Panettiere’s most recent film projects included roles in 2008’s Fireflies in the Garden costarring Julia Roberts, 2009’s I Love You, Beth Cooper, in which she had a nude scene. Unfortunately, guys, despite the fact that she filmed it naked, you only get to see her bare back. A reason to check out the film? This might be the last time you see Panettiere in a cheerleading outfit: "I think I’m just going to start putting it in my contract that I refuse to wear a cheerleading outfit for the rest of my career," said Panettiere. "In this film, I only had to put it on once for a picture, but that was it."

hayden panettiere in Scream 4

In 2010, Panettiere starred in Alpha and Omega with Christina Ricci and played Amanda Knox in the highly controversial film Amanda Knox: Murder in Italy, based an American student who is in jail in Perugia, Italy, on charges that she murdered her roommate.